The day starts early and ends early. At 05:30 a bell rings and there is herbal tea; at 06:00 you sit for pranayama and meditation. The 07:00 session is kriya and more pranayama, and by 09:00 you are eating breakfast — seasonal fruit, porridge, poha or upma. At 10:30 there is a talk on philosophy or Ayurveda. Lunch at 12:30 is the main meal of the day: dal, seasonal vegetables, rice and salad. The afternoon is yours, with an Ayurvedic therapy booked in or free time from 14:00. At 16:00 there is a kriya clinic or workshop, at 18:00 restorative practice and yoga nidra, dinner at 19:30, then kirtan. Timings shift a little with the season and the group, and nothing is compulsory.

What separates this from other centres in Rishikesh is that the teachers live on campus and have taught kriya, pranayama and meditation for decades. You practise with the same faces every day rather than a rotating timetable of visiting instructors. With a maximum of twelve guests, a teacher can offer easier or deeper variations of every posture in the same class — beginners and long-term practitioners are in the same room and both get something.

The Ayurveda is on site rather than outsourced. A resident Ayurvedic doctor sees you, and the therapy rooms are on campus. Your consultation decides which treatments you receive. One Ayurvedic therapy is included in the retreat price; further treatments are charged separately.

The setting is Tapovan, in the Himalayan foothills. The centre is set back from the main road and a short walk from the Ganges — close enough to reach the ghats before sunrise, far enough to sleep. Rooms look out over the foothills or the valley, and the terrace is where evenings tend to end.

Getting there: Dehradun (DED) is the nearest airport, about an hour by road. From Delhi it is roughly six hours by car, or an overnight train to Haridwar. Taxi pickup can be arranged from any of these on request — send your arrival details once your travel is booked.

What's included

- Accommodation for your chosen number of nights - All three sattvic vegetarian meals a day - Ayurvedic herbal teas through the day - Every yoga and meditation session - Pranayama, kriya and guided meditation - Philosophy and Ayurveda talks - One Ayurvedic consultation with a therapy - Yoga mats and props - Bed linen and towels - Daily housekeeping - Free Wi-Fi and filtered drinking water

What's not included

- Airport pickup and taxi transfers - Additional Ayurvedic treatments beyond the one included - Personal laundry - Flights and travel to Rishikesh - Travel insurance - Personal expenses

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